In U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,669,424 and 4,725,993 and commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 030,909, filed Mar. 30, 1987, and Now U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,938, there are disclosed various devices utilizing periodic, relatively low duty cycle ultrasonic compressional wave pulses for repelling fleas from domestic animals, such as dogs and cats. The devices are adapted to be mounted on a collar to direct ultrasonic compressional waves to various parts of the animal. It has been found that ultrasonic pulses having the required amplitude, duty cycle, carrier frequency and period are capable of ridding domestic animals, such as dogs and cats, from fleas.
The devices disclosed in the aforementioned patents and application have been found to be successful. They have achieved the desired pest repulsion for periods of between six months and one year in response to energy derived from batteries carried within housings for the devices.
The devices disclosed in the aforementioned patents and application are discrete component devices. In attempts to decrease the volume, weight, cost and energy consumption of the devices disclosed in the aforementioned patents and application, integrated circuits have been used. It is, however, desirable to reduce even further the volume, weight, energy and cost requirements of the prior art electronic flea-repelling devices for domestic animals, such as dogs and cats.
It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved electronic flea-repelling device adapted to be carried on a domestic animal, such as a dog or cat.
Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved integrated circuit electronic flea-repelling device adapted to be carried by domestic animals, such as dogs and cats, wherein the device has smaller volume and weight characteristics than the prior art, is capable of emitting power for a relatively long time interval, and is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and produce.
Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved electronic flea-repelling device including an integrated circuit for deriving periodic pulses having a duty cycle, carrier frequency and amplitude for repelling fleas from domestic animals, such as dogs and cats.
A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved integrated circuit electronic flea-repelling device to be worn by domestic animals wherein the integrated circuit uses the same area on a printed circuit board as an electric wave to ultrasonic wave transducer.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved integrated circuit flea-repelling device adapted to be carried by dogs and cats in a variety of different housings.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved integrated circuit flea-repelling device adapted to be carried by domestic animals, such as dogs and cats, and which is adapted to be easily tested.